Report from the front

[mesaSteeler]

Report from the front
http://blogs.sites.post-gazette.com/...from-the-front
Friday, December 03, 2010 08:34 PM
Written by Dan Gigler

Tony Napoleone of Baltimore writes in and says things are getting a little bit chippy down in Charm City:

I'm checking in again from the Baltimore outpost of the Steeler Nation.

It's been a rough week around here, as the broadcast media and Internet is filled with Ratbird ravings that are even more deluded than usual. Much has to do with bringing pressure to bear on season ticket holders not to sell their tickets to Steeler fans. I saw further comments this week on the local newspaper's Ravens blog advocating that fans steal the Terrible Towels from anyone that dares to twirl one in the stadium, as well as committing other typical mayhem and violence.

The funny thing is that they are planning to give out 70,000 purple towels at the stadium. Being inexperienced towel twirlers, I'm expecting they'll spend most of their time smacking each other in the face with them.

There's also a movement being pushed by a local radio station asking the crowd to chant [some choice phrases] when Ben goes under center ...

So as you may remember, we have a little group of Steelers insurgents at my office building in downtown Baltimore, and now number around 20. We got together for lunch in the cafeteria again, all dressed in our Steelers jerseys. We almost didn't get to do that... As of early this week, there was no Purple Jersey Day planned. If they don't make it a Jersey Day, we don't get to wear our opposing jerseys. So I put a bug in the ear of the people in the right department that maybe they should do a jersey day, as this is the biggest regular season game of the year. They announced it Thursday and unknowingly cleared the way for our show of force.

It's always so much fun watching people walk by with their food, spot us, then walk away shaking their heads and muttering. (I know exactly how he feels. Back during our last Super Bowl week I and about 10 other Steeler fans wore our colors everyday to work. We drove the bandwagon Turdnial fans nuts. - mesa)

We might have got in a little trouble this time, because one of our crew put a picture on the cafeteria bulletin board of a (fake) raven bird being hung from a rope. A little later, our HR chief walked by and took it down, throwing a major stink-eye at our table. That prompted our high-ranking company officer at the table to comment, "I guess I'll be talking to HR after lunch..."

Later, I heard the line of the day as we rode up the elevator after lunch. One of the women that started our group, a truly sweet natured and gentle soul, said, "Geez, you hang one bird and everyone gets all bent out of shape!" ...

And if we lose on Sunday, it might just be US with the ropes around our necks.

Tony Napoleone, Baltimore, MD, aka Charm(less) City

[Stu Pidasso]

Fukin' A, dude! Fight the good fight!

[SoCalFan]

Awesome story,sounds like fun living in hostile territory!!!

[steelerdave1969]

Yeh sounds like fun man. This game is gonna be a great game in my opinion and the Jets-Patriots game tomorow night will also be a classic in my opinion.